Ottawa police warn about luxury vehicle thefts

Organized crime rings could be behind the theft of dozens of luxury vehicles in Ottawa in recent months, according to Ottawa police. The cars and trucks have been stolen off car lots and driveways.

Const. Marc Soucy said solving cases of vehicle thefts depends on who does the stealing.

"If it's an organized ring that's doing it, yeah, it can be very difficult to get your car back because some of these cars get chopped up or sold overseas," Soucy said. "If it's just your local thug that's stealing a car, more than likely three, four days it's found on a street corner somewhere."

Ottawa police said there are at least two organized auto-theft rings operating in the city.

According to the Ottawa police annual report, 997 vehicles were reported stolen in 2013 and charges were laid in 21 per cent of those cases.

Soucy said new vehicles with anti-theft devices are harder to steal but owners can still take extra steps to protect their property.

"If you have a garage, put it in the garage. Make sure the doors are locked. Don't leave valuables showing. Don't leave keys that you can see in the vehicle — a lot of people still leave keys in the vehicle. Sometimes it's just an invitation to these guys," Soucy said.